Improvement in circuit-closers for telegraphs



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..

EZRA B. LAKE AND JESSE S. LAKE, OF ABSEGOM, NEW JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CIRCUIT-CLOSERS FOR TELEGRAPHS.

Speciticatipn forming part of Letters Patent No. 35,694, dated June 24, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that' we, EZRA B. LAKE and JESSE S. LAKE, of Absecom, in the county of Atlantic, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Self-Acting Gircuit-Oloser for Telegraph-Keys; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part ot' this specification, in which- Figure l is a side view. Fig. 2 is another side view ot' one end of a telegraph-key, showing the circuit-closer up. Fig. 8 is a top view.

Like letters refer to like parts in all figures.

B is a metallic saddle with standards B B. What we mean by saddle and its standards is that part of the telegraph-keys now in common use to which one ofthe Wires comes in contact while the other is attached to it by some suitable non-conductor, and it may be made in any known suitableform. It may also be connected to the telegraph-wire in any of the known suitable forms. O is a metallic key working in the standards B B. Ithas an adjuster, L, which is so adj usted that when the adjuster L is pressed on the saddle-plate B, the said key C is clear of the anvil F, and it the eircuitlcloser D is up, as shown in Fig. 2, the circuit will be broken. The metallic anvil F is attached to the saddle B in any suitable known form. [he said anvil F has a lip or rim around it near its upper end, on which the metallic circuit -closer D rests when it closes the circuit. The circuitcloser D is hinged to the key C at P, and works loosely' in the slot N of the key C.

E is a thumb-piece fast to the upper edge ofthe circuit-c1oser D. The shape of the said circuit-closer D is shown by full and dotted lines; but we do not contine ourselves to this shape alone.

When the operator wishes to send a message over the wires, he will press the thumbpiece down on the end of the key O, which causes the circuit-closer D to stand in the position shown by Fig. 2. When the operator leaves the instrument the circuit-closer D, by its own weight, or by the help of a spring, falls back on the lip of the anvil F, thus forming a self-closin g circuit, thus avoiding the evil consequence arising from the neglect to close the circuit, which is often the case with the operator under the old form.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

rlhe circuit-closer D,co1nbined with the telegraph key C, substantially as herein set forth.

EZRA B. LAKE. JESSE S. LAKE. /Vitnesses:

SAMUEL S. DAVIS, J osEPH H. DAVIS. 

